This is my last post from my glorious weekend at the Runner’s World Half. I had a ton of fun, learned a lot and got a lot of great stuff from the sponsors of the race and I want to tell you all about the items/people/food that I loved….

First and foremost, my favorite part of the weekend was spending time with David Willey, the Editor-in-Chief of Runner’s World. He is a generous, intelligent, friendly (and beautiful) man.

Xfinity Fitness Band – On Friday during the ‘Recovery for Runners’ session with ICON Fitness’ Melanie Douglass, we used the ‘Xfinity Band‘ (multi-purpose neon green stretchy band). We did some yoga poses and used the band to aid the stretch. The different holes are there to get a deeper stretch and use added resistance (I’m 0% flexible so it really helped). For example, in the photo below I could barely reach my arms over my head. We also used it for some partner strength work. Best part about this gem: you can buy it at Walmart for < $30 and it comes with a workout DVD. win win win.

Mushroom tacos al pastor(RW Cookbook) – I love tacos more than I love 99% of the people I encounter. When we got the agenda for the day and I saw the menu included tacos I was obviously pee-in-my-pants thrilled. I have one picture that doesn’t show the meal too well, sorry. I will take another when I attempt this meal at home.

iFit technology (on ProForm treadmill) – The fellas of iFit gave us a nice, detailed explanation of the technology. Here is what i got out of it….you map ANY route on google maps (you can drive, run or choose to “explore” an area anywhere in the world) and it downloads to the treadmill. The treadmill then picks up the terrain and elevation and simulates the route. If a google map car has driven the route, you get a video on the touch screen display. It is really bad ass and I want a treadmill with this for Christmas. I am so interested in this and want to learn more so I am thinking of getting a Q&A going with the iFit team.

Let’s start with a personal anecdote that pokes fun at the “benefits” of red meat. Just a few weeks ago, I had a minor family scare when my grandma was rushed to the hospital. As it turns out, she had suffered a minor stroke and was discovered in her apartment by a neighbor who heard the smoke alarm going off; her dinner was burning. Say what you want about red meat, but on that fateful day only weeks ago, my grandma was more or less saved by a flaming rack of lamb. Now, how ironic is that?

For those of you who don’t know me, let me begin by saying hi. I’m Stacy, a writer from Manhattan with an insatiable love of morning runs, a soft spot for all things homegrown, and a blog called Will Run for Glitter. It’s incredibly nice to meet you and an honor to be featured on the lovely Miss Running Bun’s blog.

If you asked me five years ago whether I’d ever considered adopting a vegetarian lifestyle, I’d have literally laughed in your face. And then maybe gone out for a burger. With a side of bacon. That’s just how I used to roll.

Today, it’s been years since I’ve stuffed my face with skirt steak or chowed down on chop meat. For the most part, I aim to fill my daily plate (and Tupperware) with ingredients my dad refers to as “seeds,” my friends refer to as “grass,” and I refer to as “fuel.” With the exception of fish (like scallops and salmon and shrimp, oh my!) here and there (thanks, vitamin B12 deficiency!), it’s all veggies all the time. And I’ve grown to totally love it.

I’m the first to admit that a vegetarian lifestyle isn’t for everyone. Heck, I still sometimes struggle to turn down a good hot pastrami sandwich at the Katz’s deli counter.

But the truth is that there’s a reason I made this transition. I haven’t felt this good about myself – body and mind – since adopting a healthy, clean, conscious way of eating years ago. And who doesn’t love being able to say that about themselves?

Eliminating meat from my diet didn’t happen overnight. As with Scott Jurek, the famed ultra-marathoner and my personal running icon, the evolution of my diet was slow and mindful – a process that I grew to appreciate more and more as my passion for running grew too. The more I ran, the more I craved whole grains and greens. The more I consumed greens and grains, the better I felt while running and the more I was able to push myself. Not that I’m comparing myself to the No. 1 vegan ultra-marathoner of all-time or anything. But hopefully you catch my drift.

Over the last few years, I’ve made a real effort to experiment with all sorts of ingredients to power me not only through my morning runs but through the rest of the day as well. Living a typical New York lifestyle, I understand that it’s not always easy to stand your ground. From food trucks to festivals, there are temptations left and right.

But with a sound mind, good intentions and a bit of creativity, I’ve come to find that it’s not all that difficult – and often more satisfying – to make the vegetarian choice. Whether you consider yourself a runner, cyclist, yogi or, heck, a naturally skinny socialite with a personal chef and greenhouse, these recipes are meant to cater to a universal palate. Vegetarians should find them filling as meals, and even non-vegetarians can delight in them as sides. Enjoy!

One of the hardest parts of maintaining a vegetarian diet, I’ve found, is that it’s difficult to come up with truly hearty meals – you know, the kind you want to snuggle up with on the couch while watching old 80’s movies during a winter storm. Enter this Turkish recipe, made with hearty bulgar wheat (a protein-filled grain) and a plethora of delicious veggies. Follow the recipe, or add your own favorites from the garden.

Lentils were a go-to ingredient while training for all four of my half marathons last year. Not only do their heavy, “meaty” texture and taste make lentils a solid substitute for former carnivores like myself, but they provide a serious dose of pre-run power, making them ideal for evenings before a race. To complement their flavoring, I love to add beets, avocado and fresh garden herbs.

I never thought that coleslaw could be served as meal, but the addition of chickpeas makes this salad as filling as it is delicious. Without the use of mayo, you reduce the cloying nature of most deli recipes. Instead, the mustard and black sesame seed combo gives this adult version of a childhood favorite an elevated twist. Enjoy alone, with a slice of whole-grain toast, or with corn on the cob at your next summer BBQ.

From the bun: I am obsessed with all of Stacy’s recipes. She always forms a perfect healthy and delicious combination with powerful and nutritious ingredients. I am excited about this post! Make sure to check out her blog for awesome (vegetarian) recipes and hilarious musings from her life.

I am proud to say it has been 13 months since I have become a vegetarian. To give a little history, up until the day I chose to become a vegetarian, I was a carnivore, and really loved all forms of dairy. The transition happened rather quickly and painlessly. I gave up all meat immediately without any issues or cravings (thankfully). That includes beef, pork, chicken, turkey and fish as well as a drastic reduction in my dairy intake.

Although I never added the “faux” meats to my diet, I did substitute dairy milk with almondmilk. To be completely honest, I was not sold on it. The first few brands that I tried tasted a bit sour and lacked the flavor I had heard so many great things about. Cue: Silk Almondmilk. My boyfriend’s parents drink it regularly so I decided to give it a shot. The Silk Pure Almond Original has a rich flavor that I truly enjoy and for the calorie-counters out there, only 30-calories per serving (1 cup).

If you are a frequent reader of my blog, you know I like to experiment with vegetarian cooking but it normally tastes like crap. I definitely consider myself a new vegetarian therefore I rely heavily on fellow healthy living bloggers for recipe ideas to ensure I am getting adequate nutrients (and because I can’t come up with delicious ideas on my own).

The reason I need help….

My favorite way to use Silk Almondmilk (made day after day):

Thankfully, Silk is currently hosting 30 Recipe Rethink. They have paired up with FitFluential and have asked 30 nutrition and health bloggers to rethink their favorite recipes to include 30-calorie Unsweetened Pure Almond. New recipes from awesome bloggers are revealed regularly so make sure to check back! Bonus: you get a coupon for Silk!

I selected my favorite recipes from the campaign that I wanted to share! I have successfully cooked them and they were taste-tested and approved!

These are just a couple of amazing ideas. If you have any bit of creativity in the kitchen, I would suggest using Silk Pure Almondmilk as a substitution. The creamy texture and amazing flavor from the heart healthy almonds makes it a wonderful addition to a recipe. Silk Pure Almondmilk has benefits that include half the calories of skim milk, no sugar, cholesterol or saturated fat. I also consider it very important that it is Verified by the Non-GMO Project’s product verification program because no one want’s to eat that crap.

Meet Ashley

Welcome to Running Bun! I am Ashley, a working-mom who loves running and training for races, attempting yoga inversions, a strong cocktail, and a good dose of sarcasm. This blog is where I share a lot of random thoughts about the above with some parenting woes mixed in for good measure.